Because of the growing popularity of the Japanese Akita in the US, there are more and more unscrupulous and greedy backyard breeders and puppy mills trying to make a buck off an unsuspecting public who do not realize the importance of sire and dam health testing, proper vet care, nutritional support and socialization for puppies. As a result, more Japanese Akitas are being dumped at the pound – some are adult dogs who have been deemed useless because they cannot be bred or can no longer be bred while others are puppies or young dogs with health or temperament issues due to poor breeding practices or lack of socialization. The lucky dogs avoid being euthanized and end up at no-kill shelters or rescues.

JACA is committed to working with organizations that are active in breed-specific rescue through our JACA Cares program. Since we are not a rescue ourselves, our main related activities involve publicizing rescue-listed Japanese Akitas in need of homes and collecting funds and goods for donation to the rescues with whom we have established good relationships. In the past, we have been able to provide emergency funds toward Japanese Akitas in rescues with medical needs. We also ask that our member breeders specify in their contracts that they are the first point of contact should one of their puppy buyers need to give up a dog so that dogs bred by JACA members do not become additional burdens in the shelter or rescue system (in other words, if you’re in JACA and you breed, you take care of your own).

For more information about JACA Cares, contact rescue@akita-inu.com. Donations to JACA Cares are tax deductible.